Improvement in bill-files



UNITED STATES .ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. REYNOLDS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF 'ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO GEORGE T. BASSETT, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BILL-FILES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195, E6?. dated September 11, 1877 application filed August 11, 1877.

`To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. REYNOLDS, of the city and county of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in File Holders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in Which-` Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a view of the bottom of my le-holder, showing the slotted ratchet with the pieee of the sliding press-slide in position.

The object of my invention is to provide a le-holder which shall be simple in construction, not liable to get out of order, and which, from its ease of operation, will greatly facilitate the handling of papers on iile in public and private offices.

It consists of a rectangular frame work of wood or metal, ora combination of both, with strengthening-braces on either side, the lower or door par-tof which is furnished with a slotted double ratchet for engaging a L -piece on the lower end of the press-slide, a press-slide for clamping the papers into place, and a rateheted spring-bar, which, by its resiliency, holds the press-slide at any desired position, and firmly clamps the contents of the le.

In the drawing, Fig. l, A represents the press-slide for holding the papers in position. B is the ratcheted spring-bar, which holds the upper part of press-slide Ain place. C is the slotted ratchet on thebottom of thele-holder. (Shown better in Fig. 2.) ais the cross-bar, slotted at each end, for the purpose of engaging in the ratchets on either side of the springbar, thus holding' press-slide A in an upright position. b is the pieee on the lower part of press-slide A, which engages with slotted ratchet O on the bottom, thus holding the slide rmly in position when the spring bar is acting on the upper cross-bar a. c is a helical spring, (one end of which is inserted in the end piece A2 of file-holden) which supports and gives tension to the ratcheted spring-bar B. d shows the angle on the lower end of the press-slide A. e is an angle-brace, from door to back, for strengthening the holder. A1 is the bottom, and Az the end piece, of my tileholder. Into the end piece A2 is inserted the helical springs of the spring-bar B.

Fig. 2 shows at C the slotted ratchet bar,

and at b the lower portion of the piece of the press-slide in position'in one of the ratchets.

To operate my file-holder, the ratcheted spring-barB is depressed by the thumb or ngers of one hand, and the papers inserted between the press-slide and the endA2 of the file-holder with the other hand. slide is then pushed up against the papers, and, the pressure on the spring-bar being removed, the tension of the bar, acting on the cross-bar of thepress slide, locks it in the ratchets on either side, and draws the j -piece on the other end of the press-slide into a corresponding ratchet on the bottom of the holder, thus firmly and securely clamping the papers in place.

When it is desired to examine the contents of the holder, the thumb or hand is pressed lightly on the rateheted spring bar, the depression of which releases the cross-bar a from its hold on the ratchets of the spring-bar, thus allowing the press-slide A to fall backward, when the papers on le can be examined at leisure.

The thumb of the other hand should be pressed against the bottom of the press bar, in order to hold the lower end in place. When the upper part of the press-slide has fallen back sufficiently far the pressure ou the spring bar should be removed, when the L- piece on the lower end will be drawn by the tension of the spring-bar into any ratchet desired, allowing the papers to fall backward with the press-bar at any convenient angle.

The press-slide is made angular at the lower end, as shown at d, for the purpose of allowing it to fall backward at the top, the -piece acting as a fulcrum to hold the lower end in place in the double ratchet on the bottom of' the file-holder.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The double-ratcheted spring-bar B and the helical springs c at its ends, in combination` with the press-slide A and the slotted ratchet C, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The press-slide A constructed with an angle, d, on its lower end, and having the top The presscross piece a and the bottom l-piece b, in In testimony whereof I have hereunto subcombination with the double-ratcheted springscribed my naine this 11th day of August, A. bar B and the slotted ratchet C, substantially D. 187 7, in the presence of two Witnesses.

as and for the purpose described.

3. The slotted double ratchet c in the bot- JOHN W' REYNOLDS' tom of the le-holder, in combination with the Witnesses: press-slide A and the spring-bar B, substan- GEORGE T. BAssETT,

tially as and for the purpose described. GEORGE R. REYNOLDS. 

